Genial Meaning
/ˈdʒiːnɪəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjFriendly and cheerful; enlivening.
adjPleasantly mild and warm.
Sentence Examples
They were elderly men, and had genial voices.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ host welcomed everyone with a warm smile and kind words.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The host's ____ smile and warm welcome instantly made everyone at the party feel at home.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Middle French génial, borrowed from Latin geniālis (“of or pertaining to marriage; festive”), from genius (“guardian spirit”) + -ālis.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Such a face was calculated to awaken not only the calm sentiment of esteem, the distant one of admiration, but some feeling more tender, genial, intimate—friendship, perhaps, affection, interest."
— 1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “(please specify the page)”, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC:
"This genial girl, like her brother, was in the grand situation of having no home and of carrying on life, such a splendid kind of life, by successive visits to relations; […]."
— 1913, Henry James, A Small Boy and Others:
"There had been the shine of candles, and the laughter of the women, the old Judge's genial humor."
— 1920, Temple Bailey, The Trumpeter Swan:
"George Relph plays the part of the Vicar of the Parish, a railway enthusiast, who becomes amateur engine driver, with Sir Godfrey Tearle (the Bishop) as his fireman, while Stanley Holloway is the genial toper who provides the cash to buy the line."
— 1953 March, Baynham Honri, “Filming "The Titfield Thunderbolt"”, in Railway Magazine, page 164:
"[Abdullah] Shami, a genial and open-faced man of forty-five, greeted me warmly."
— 2001 July 9, Jeffrey Goldberg, “Letter From Gaza: The Martyr Strategy”, in The Atlantic:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ host welcomed everyone with a warm smile and kind words.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The host's ____ smile and warm welcome instantly made everyone at the party feel at home.